Rotary engine



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' Wl GII ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 456,351; Patented Jul-y 21', 11891.

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W. G. ADAMS. l ROTARY ENGINE.

N0.456,351. PatentedJuly 21,1891'.

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VILLARD G. ADAMS, OF VEEDSPORT, NEV YORK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent O. 456,351, dated July 21, 1891. Application tiled April 20, 1891. Serial No. 389,604. (No model.)

To all whom. it' may concern.-

Be it known that I, VILLARD G. ADAMS, of VVeedsport, in the county of Cayuga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to rotary engines inwhich an inner rotary cylinder or druln is arranged eccentrically within the outer cylinder or casing and is provided with pistons adapted to reciprocate in their respective seats in said cylinder, which pistons bear outwardly against theinner surface of the casing to make a water or steam tight joint and inwardly against elastic loose rings which force the pistons outward.

My object is to so improve the internal con* struction that the pistons will always make a steam or water tight joint with the inner surface of the casing, and will always be forced outward toward and held against it by the spring action of loose elastic coil springs which form the eccentric within the inner rotating cylinder which carries the pistons and are not attached to anything, said loose rings being always carried or supported by the pistons in their position eccentric to the inner cylinder and concentric to the casing in which part of the pistons are slot-ted, so that for a part of the time they operate in the ordinary way and then permit the steam to pass through the slots expansively, in which both edges of the pistons are rounded, so that they can rock upon the eccentric spring-ring as they are carried around with the inner cylinder.

My inventionconsists in the several novel features of construction and operation hereinafter described,and which are specifically set forth in theclaims hereunto annexed. It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical section transverse to t-he casing, the inner cylinder, and the shaft, and showing one of the loose coiled-spring eccentricrings and the pistons in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of part of the casing and inner cylinder and the base, and showing a reversingvalve located in said base and the parts connected with the steam-chamber. Fig. 3 is a vertical section longitudinal to the casing of the construction shown in Fig. l, and showing the port-pistons in plan. Fig. t is' an enlarged detail ot a part of my loose spring-coil eccentric. Fig. 5 is a plan of my piston provided with a port through the body.

A is the outer cylindrical casing, closed at the ends by removable heads l, which are plane upon their inner faces. 'The shaft 2 is inserted through the heads through shaftholes, which are eccentric to the casing.

Upon the shaft within the casing I secure the piston-head 3, which ts closely against the inner faces of the heads l, and its lower side is contiguous to the inner face of the casing. In this head seats are cut upon a-radial line, which closely receive the pistons 4., which are equidistant from each other. The outer edges of these pistons bear against the inner wall or face of the casing, and their inner ends bear upon and are held in contact with the casingby means of the ring 5. This ring, as shown in Figs. l and et, consists of a strip of spring sheet metal loosely and helically wound, so that its tendency is to uncoil and thus expand, and it is inserted Within the inner edges of the pistons and then permitted to expand against them, so that it bears with a spring-tension against them at all times, supporting the pistons and holding them in close contact with the casing. There is such a ring at each end of the pistons. These rings are not secured to the heads of the casing nor to anything, but simply lie against the heads and are gripped between the pistons. The outermost end of the strip of spring metal is 'scarfed off, as at 6, so that when wound the outer face of the ring willform substantially a circle and be free from any jog orshoulderto prevent the free rotating travel of the rings within the pistons.

The pistons marked 4f in the drawings are constructed with an opening or port othrough them, leaving a rim c across and constituting the outer edge of the piston. As the steam enters the casing through the inlet-pipe d it exerts its force against the piston, causing the head to rotate, and when the piston, as 4, on the right in Fig. l' has been carried to substantiallythe position there shown, then the IOO port h therein opens and the steam passes through it into the chamber iu front ot it and expansively exerts its force upon the upper piston i. Thus the port-pistons alternately take steam and open as above described, so that the steam operates expansively, and there are only two exhausts through the exhaustpipe 8, although there are 'four pistons. Furthermore, these pistons are so disposed that they balance the spring-ring between them; also, the pistons are free to rock upon the rings, as indicated by the positions ot the pistons et in Fig. 1.

The reversing-valve mechanism shown in Fig. 2, which can also be applied to Fig l, is contained within the base, and consists of a cylindrical valve-chamber 10, a tubular valve on, mounted therein, and ports d and d, intersecting the valve-chamber and opening down into the exhaust-chamber 12, and the pipe c carries oit the exhaust. The valve is tubular with closed ends, with a side steaminlet port m, with a top steam-outlet port m, and a stem 1 3. The steam is let into the valve-port m through a pipe through the base, (not shown,) but at about the center of the length of the valve, as shown in Fig. 2, where the steam is entirely shut off from the steam-chamber in the casing. Then when the valve is drawn out to the right, l[he steam is admitted through the ports m. and d into one side of the casing; or when the valve is push ed in the steam passes through the ports m and d into the other side of the casing.

It will be seen that my coiled spring-ring is always positive in its action, will always take up the wear, and keep the pistons steamtight; that such action will always be quick on account of the resiliency of the spring and always positive, and they will always hold the pistons in a peculiarly light and perfect touch Contact, giving a tight joint, with a minimum of friction even when the engine is ruiming at the highest speed, so that my engine is always eiticient and durable.

I am aware that loose solid rings, and also loose rings cut transversely like piston-pack ing rings, have been heretofore used; but neither of these is my invention, because neither of them possesses the properties nor can perform the peculiar functions of my loose coiled spring.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the sliding pistons, of the loose and helicallywound eccentric rings of spring metal supporting the pistons and bearing against their inner edges.

2. The combination, with the casing and the piston-head therein, ot the solid and slotted pistons mounted alternately in the head.

3. The combination, with the casing and the piston-head therein, of the solid and the slotted pistons mounted alternately in the head and the loose eccentric rings within the head engaging with the inner edges of the pistons.

Ll. The combination, with the casing and the piston-head therein, of the solid and the slotted pistons mounted alternately and the loose and elastic spring-rings supporting the pistons within the Vhead and engaging with the inner edges ofthe pistons.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day ot' April, 1891.

XVILLARI) G. ADAMS.

In presence 01"- C. C. ADAMS, Isaac Ci-iAnnnnnoN. 

